Improvement in corn-sheliiers



T. WEAVER.

Corn She|ler. I v I Patented July 6, 1869.

Letters Patent No. 92,410, dated July 6, 1869.

nvmnovmvmnr'r- IN CORN-SHELLERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Trrnorrnnus WEAVER, of Harrisburg, county of Dauphin, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improved Corn- Sheller; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 5 are perspective views of the sheller.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the handle-chair.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the folding tines.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the double-bladed aw.

Figured is a front view of said jaw.

1 style my sheller The Bird Oorn-Sheller, and its nature is such as to constitute a cheap hand-implement to shell or cut dry or green corn off the cob, and to wind the car through it centrally, and at the same time to collect and deliver the grains properly.

It consists of a swivelled handle, double-bladed jaw, and two sets of folding tines, arranged in a case of two almost similar sections, riveted or bolted together.

The case, shown in figs. 1 and 5, is made in two sections, each consisting of a swelled ring and a halftube, W Q, massed together. Said rings W are provided with hasps f and'g, by which the sections ar'e riveted or bolted together. Both rings have bearings for the journals or trunnions, band (I, of the folding tines, shown in fig. 3, and bearings for the guides 0 0 0f the jaw N N P, fig. 1. The former are diametrically opposite each other, and at right angles to the line of the tube Q. The latter bearings are between the hasps g and said tube, and. in the line of the parting of the sections of the case. The central opening in the rings is made larger at S than at S, fig. 5. This is the only point of dissimilarity in said rings. Said openings are so made that an earof corn will go in to the jaw freely at S, with the corn on it, and only the cob will go out freely at S, inthe direction shown at V W, fig. 5. The said openings will thus be nearly closed while the ear is being shelled. The grains are thus hindered from flying out. For the same a'eason the rings are swelled out laterally, giving that part of the case an ellipsoidal form, to bring said openings further from the jaw.

The halvesof the tube Q are provi led with bearings 0, on the inside walls, about one-third of the way in from their outerends. Said bearings are semicircular, to receive the stem or rod K of the jaw N N, P, and are also in the line of the case-parting, asshown in fig. 1.' Said bearings O are thus located in.

from the end of the tube, to regulate the throw of said stem K, which is stopped against the foot 0. of the handle-chair, near the outer end of the tube, asshown in figs. 1 and 5. The halves of the tube Q have also bearings for the trunnions a of said chair, in the line was to match the rounded seat H of the chair.

or the case-parting, audso near the end of the tube that when the chair is turned at right angles to the tube, it will be stopped, as at m, figs. 1 and '5, the middle of the end of the sections being so cut or cursveg a1 chair, as shown infig. 2, is made to stand away or out from the trunnions a, by means of legs m, which are massed into the rounded seat H, upon which isrive'ted or screwed the handle a. Said chair is so made to leave the tube-passage open at the end of it, and to be capable of being used on either side of thecase.

The jaw N N P, as shownin figs. 1, 4, and '6, has a cut,'Z, in a'scroll, which connects twoblades, N and N centrally, in such a manner that the blades form steps of a winding stair about said out, and. extend out laterally in, parallel planes, which terminate in inclined sides or strikes h h, upon the upper ends of which are formed vertical guides O 0, also parallel'to each other, whose ends are knobs l 2. The blades N N are thus so extended outward from the cut Z as to form sections of a coarse screw, and'the cut Z is so made as to leave the cross-section or scroll, from the one blade to the other, partially open, to efiect a clearan'ce in winding the ear of corn, the grains being thus admitted behind the blades, before they are shelled or cut off. The edges of the blades are concave, so as to form, in connection with the concave edges of the tinesL L, a central opening, as shown in fig. 1.

The blades N N of said jaw are united heel to point by said scroll, and the scroll is prolonged intoa shaft,

P, which is bent to the side from the centre far enough to be in line with the inside of the tube Q, as shown in fig. 1. Said shaft has a boss, 2:, upon it at the base of the stern K, for the support of a spiral spring, which is the only means to actuate the jaw and the tines, as shown in figs. 1, 3, and 6.

The curve of the out Z is a semi-elliptic spiral, having its transverse axis in the line from the heel of the blade N to-the tip or point ofthe blade .N, as shown in figs. 4 and 6.

Said blades N N have transverse blades B B on their rear sides, near their cutting-edges, as shown in figs. 1 and 4. The transverse blade B is near the heel of blade N, and B is near the middle of N. Said transverse blades are so located and inclined as to strike the ear of corn at a tangent outside of the nap on the cob, thus allowing the edges'of the blades N N to cut or wind through the nap; and they are lo cated on the rear side of the jaw, or next to the smaller opening of the case, that they may not hinder the hand in starting the ear of corn into the sheller, and

also that the grains which are. shelled may be hindered from scattering.

The strikes 1th figs. 1, 4, and 6, actuate the vanes V V, as shown in fig. 1. Said vanes are extensions of the bridges R R, and the tines L L are extensions of the bridges, as shown in fig. 3. Said tines are tripped or actuated equally and simultaneously by said strikes 7:. h, when the jaw N N1 is vibrated and guided in the bearings already described. The vanes V V therefore stand in such relative direction to the said strikes and the tines L L, that when the jaw opens or closes, the tines will move reciprocally and oppositely, to conduct the ear through the case between them. 'When both tines and jaw are closed, the points of the strikes rest upon and against the bases of the vanes V V, as shown in fig. 1, and thus insure a central opening between them sufliciently large to enter the ear of corn readily.

Each of said bridges R R, upon which the tines L L and vanes VV are mounted, is poised on two legs, which terminate in the trunnions b or d, which enter hearings in the rings W, of the case, as shown in fig. 3, and before recited. It is upon these trunnions that the tines swing, when actuated as above stated, and said bridges are thus mounted on legs to clear a path between them and the inside of the case, for the shelled corn to pass around to the discharge-tube Q.

The two pairs of parallel tines L L extend in an oblique direction toward the centre of the sheller-case, and their tips retreat in, the transverse diameter of the case toward the opening and fold, like fingers, between each other, as shown in fig. 3, and are thus situated directly opposite the edges of the jaw N N P, as shown in fig. 1.

The tines are in pairs, connected by sharp ribs T T, parallel to each other, as shown in fig. 3, to add strength to them, and to assist in shelling and poising the ear. The obliquity of the tines is such that they form sections of screw-threads of the same cut as those which the blades N- N of the jaw present, in order to assist the jaw in winding the car through.

All the operations have been stated, except that the ear of corn can be started into the sheller by holding the sheller in one hand and rotating the ear, after which operation, the ear or cob can be heldand the sheller rotated, the swivelled handle obviating the necessity of changing hands for the different parts of the work. The tube Q discharges at each down stroke, and nearly all the grains will be discharged through it, and very few will scatter. A discharge aperture may be made in the case where the hasp f is shown to be, if green corn will not readily discharge otherwise.

I claim-- 1. In a hand-sheller jaw, of two blame N N, the central semi-elliptical spiral cut Z, substantially as and for the purpose'specified. I

2. A sheller-jaw, provided with blades N N,.transverse blades B B, strikes h h, guides O O, bent shaft P, all constructed and arranged substantially as herein set forth.

3. Constructing and arranging the tines L L, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. Constructing the sections of the sheller-case W Q, and combining them with each other-and with the handle-chair A M H, as herein specified.

5. The combination and arrangement of jaw N N P, with tines LL, and case W Q, as and for the purpose herein set forth.

\Vitnesses: THEOPHILUS WEAVER.

PETER STUoKnR, Jossrn FROMM. 

